Student Profiles

Before sophomore Sara Hauptman set foot in a nuclear science and engineering (NSE) class, she was learning to operate MIT’s nuclear reactor. “When I heard my first lectures describing reactor processes, I knew exactly what they were talking about because I’d already seen them firsthand,” says Sara Hauptman, who is pursuing an NSE major. She began training fall of freshman year, and received her operator’s license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last November.

Matthew Cavuto, now a senior in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, embarked on his career path partly as a result of a talk he heard in high school by MIT Professor Hugh Herr, a double amputee who works on improving prosthetic devices and systems to allow people with similar disabilities to regain as much control, independence, and capability as possible.

Sade Nabahe’s time at MIT has been defined by engineering projects that help people around the globe with everyday problems. Even when seemingly straightforward ideas have proven tough to implement, she has stuck with them and remained committed to improving the quality of life for people living in poverty.

Sarah Hensley is preparing an astronaut named Valkyrie for a mission to Mars. It is 6 feet tall, weighs 300 pounds, and is equipped with an extended chest cavity that makes it look distinctly female. Hensley spends much of her time this semester analyzing the movements of one of Valkyrie's arms.